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California Institute of Technology
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The theory by which planetesimals are assumed to collide with one another and coalesce, eventually sweeping up enough material to form the planets.
Industry:Astronomy
Lens (or combination of lenses) that brings different wavelenghts within a ray of light to a single focus, thus overcoming chromatic aberration. It was first successfully made by Joseph von Fraunhofer.
Industry:Astronomy
A lens of two or more components with different refraction indices (e.g., crown glass and flint glass), used to correct for chromatic aberration.
Industry:Astronomy
Element with atomic number between 89 (Actinium) and 103
Industry:Astronomy
soft, silvery-white, radioactive metal which glows in the dark
Industry:Astronomy
1) Active galactic nuclei are very luminous. Their energy output is in two forms: nonthermal continuum and thermal emission line. 2) Any galaxy which is emitting large quantities of non-thermal radiation.
Industry:Astronomy
Controlling the shape of a telescope mirror at a relatively slow rate.
Industry:Astronomy
Compensating for atmospheric distortions in a wavefront by high-speed changes in the shape of a small, thin mirror.
Industry:Astronomy
The slow rotation of the major axis of a planet's orbit in the same direction as the revolution of the planet itself, due to gravitational interactions with other planets and/or other effects (such as those due to general relativity.)
Industry:Astronomy
In astronomical terms, a unit of time equivalent to 1 billion years.
Industry:Astronomy